With so many different diet plans to choose from nowadays, it can be very difficult to find weight loss plans which suit you. Choosing the right plan is just as important as deciding to go on a diet. Making the wrong choice will just result in poor results. So here are the 3 top diets along with an honest take on the good and the bad parts:
5:2 Diet
This diet is based on a principle called intermittent fasting. Here, you will eat regularly for five days in a week and then fast for the remaining two. Apart from losing weight, this diet is also known to help improve brain function and life span. It can even protect you against various health conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
There is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of this diet, though. There is little evidence it may help lower risk of getting obesity-related cancers.
- Pros: Sticking to a diet for two days in a week is better achievable as compared to seven days. This means you will be more likely to persevere with this diet and lose weight successfully. Being on restricted diets for a couple of days a week can also help you lose more body fat, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and insulin resistance.
- Cons: Just because you can eat five days a week without any restrictions doesn’t mean you can stuff your face with anything you want. You will need to be careful about calorie consumption then too. You will have to stay physically active and make healthy choices. Skipping meals might make you feel irritable, dizzy, or give you headaches which make it difficult to concentrate. This might affect your work. You should watch out for dehydration and bad breath too.
- Verdict: This is an effective way of reducing your calorie intake. There are a number of versions of the diet, and some are more dangerous than the others. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting is great for quick weight loss. If you do choose to follow it, it is recommended that you go with an evidence-based plan for balanced, healthy eating. It is important so that you do not have to deal with nutritional deficiencies at any point or have to worry about overeating on the non-fast days. Do not attempt to skip meals if you’re pregnant, have diabetes, or eating disorders.
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Dukan Diet
This is a high-protein, low carb diet. There is no limit to the amount of food which you can consume during the four phases of the plan as long as you stick to the rules. During the first phase, you will be on a strict diet of lean protein. This will be from a list of seventy-two low-fat protein-rich foods like turkey, eggs, chicken, fish, etc.
This will last for around five days and will promote quick weight loss. You will stay away from carbs during this time. Unlike Atkins, the first phase restricts fat and bans vegetables. The subsequent three phases see gradual introductions of vegetables, carbs, and fruits.
The aim is to lose as much as two pounds every week and to promote healthy weight management in the long run. There is no time limit for the last phase which involves protein only days once in a week and regular exercise.
- Pros: Can help you lose weight quickly which is motivating. It is a prescriptive and strict diet. It is very easy to follow, and you will not need to worry about counting calories or weighing food. Apart from high-protein, low-fat, and low-salt foods, there is no restriction on the amount of food you could eat during the first couple of weeks.
- Cons: At the beginning, you may experience certain side effects like bad breath, tiredness, dry mouth, insomnia, dizziness, nausea, etc. The lack of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains may even cause constipation.
- Verdict: Losing weight quickly is motivating, but it’s also unhealthy. This diet isn’t balanced nutritionally, and you will need vitamin supplements and fiber. It could cause long-term problems if you do not follow the program carefully. Just stick to the rules and you should be fine.
Related: The Dukan Diet That Can Be Used For Weight Loss
Paleo Diet
This diet is also called the caveman diet since it consists of foods which can be fished and hunted like seafood and meat as well as foods which can be gathered like fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, eggs, etc. It is a regime that is based on the eating habits of our ancestors from the Paleolithic era. This means cereal grains and processed foods are off the menu.
There is no official diet to follow, but it’s generally considered as a high-protein, low-carb diet with variations on the meat and carbohydrate intake. Advocates say it is a long term healthy diet which can help you lose weight and will also reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.
- Pros: The diet makes you eat less processed food and more vegetables and fruits. It reduces the consumption of high-calorie foods, and this will reduce your overall calorie consumption which will make it easier for you to lose weight. The diet does not involve calorie counting and is simple to follow. The flexibility on offer also makes it easy to follow.
- Cons: There aren’t any accurate records to prove that this is the diet out ancestors followed. It is based largely on an educated guess at best. Most versions encourage a large amount of meat consumption which is against all current advice on excessive meat consumption being unhealthy. There are a number of versions which ban dairy and whole grains which are parts of a balanced, healthy diet. Like any high-protein diet, this diet can be expensive, based on the meat cuts you choose. You will not be able to follow it without consuming seafood, meat, and eggs.
- Verdict: Most versions of the diet exclude important food groups which increase the potential for nutritional deficiencies unless you are making careful substitutions and using dietary supplements where necessary. This diet has a few positive aspects so adapted versions which don’t ban food groups may be a better choice. This diet lacks variety too. But if you are able to stick to it over the long run, you will certainly see excellent results.
Related: Losing Weight Eating The Paleo Diet
Summary:–
There is no need for you to worry about anything else when you have one of these three top diets on your side. They are absolutely the best and virtually guarantee you are going to lose weight. A little exercise is always recommended but even if you don’t work out, you are going to lose weight no matter what as long as you stick to these diets. So what are you waiting for? Make a choice and see all your fat melt away. It really is a rewarding experience.